Can you half-batch in the 1 BBL Nano Brewhouse?

When we set out to design and build the 1 BBL nano brewhouse, we didn’t want to compromise on features or performance. The unique Internal Calandria design utilizes a fully custom-built electric element extending from a 4” TC port at the base of the kettle. That element had to be sized with an ultra-low watt density rating to mitigate any risk of scorching. Which in turn necessitates a minimum surface area requirement in contrast to the total wattage needed for the system to perform up to our expectations with respect to boil performance, and boiloff rates. As a result, the element needed to be fabricated to a very specific length, while also needing to be fully submerged in wort for the duration of the boil. Subsequently, the system does not support the ability to half batch.

While we could have taken the easy road and designed a system with a side mounted element, just like our competition, that just doesn’t align with our goal of engineering better beer. Furthermore, as most brewers know, half batching can often lead to having to toggle recipe dynamics to achieve the same results as a full batch in any given system, which can hinder direct scalability to a larger brewhouse. Lastly, with the system geared toward nano breweries, and pilot houses for pro breweries, we felt the need to ever half batch would be very rare.